Tubular lamp fixture



April 30, 1946. A. G. MUELLER ETAL v 2,399,501

TUBULAR LAM FIXTURE iled Nov. 6, 1944 2 SheebSv-Sheel'. 1

Inventor-s: Adolf G. Mueller', Frederick C. Dazleg,

lTheir' Atta-neg.

Ap 30, 1946. A. G. MUELLER ETAL TUBULAR LAMP FIXTURE 'Filed Nov. 6.V1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventors' AdolF C3. Mueller',

l' Frederick @.Dazleg,

'Their Attorneg.

P'atented Apr. 30, 1.9416

2,399,501 l mm LAMP FIXTURE Adolf G. Mleller', Fairfield, and FrederickC. Dazley, Stratford, Comi., assignors to General Electric Company, acorporation oi.' New York Application November 6, 1944, Serial No.562,082

s claims. (ci. 11s-32s) The present invention relates to fixtures fortubular lamps such as fluorescent lamps.

The object of the invention'is to provide an improved xture forsupporting tubular lamps and an improved lamp holder for use in tubularlamp fixtures, and for a consideration of what we believe to be noveland our invention attention is directed to the following specificationand to the claims appended thereto.

In the present instance, the invention is shown as embodied in a fixturefor two lamps but it will be understood that the invention is notlimited necessarily to a two-lamp fixture, as lt may be utilized in axture for only one lamp or in a fixture for more than two lamps.

In the drawings Fie'. 1 is a perspective view of a lamp fixtureembodying the invention; Fig. 2

is a perspective view on a larger scale,- partly broken away and partlyin section, of the fixture Shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a face viewlooking at the underside of the fixture, the central portion of thexture being broken away and certain parts being shown in section; Fig.`4 is an exploded perspective view` of parts which go to make up a lampholder; Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the fixture lookingtoward one of the lamp holders; Fig. 6 is a detail sectional viewthrough one 0f the lamp holders taken on line ii-h Fig. 3; and Fig. 7 isa detail perspective view partly broken away of a modification.

Referring to the drawings, the fixture comprises two lamp holders l and2 which are alike in structure and are mounted in spaced relation toeach other at opposite ends of a channel strip Si which may be shaped incross section as shown in Fig. 5. Attached to channel strip t andserving to close its open side is a reflector t. Mounted on top of thechannel strip is aballast 5. Tubuiar lamps, for example uorescent lampsof a known type, are indicated at t, their end contact pins beingindicated at l. in each lamp holder is a starter t, the starter for onelamp of the pair I6 is of a length to iit nicely between the inturnedinner edges-of the channel strip as shown clearly in Fig. 2 and 5. Fixedto end wall I2 and projecting forwardly toward thel open side of thecasing are two pairsof diagonally spaced posts 20 and 2i shaped toprovide shoulders at their free ends against which cover plate I 4rests. The ends of the posts beyond the shoulders project throughopenings in the cover plate and are adapted to receive screws 22 forfastening the cover plate in position against the shoulders on posts 20and 2l. Tosupport the edges of the cover plate, the

casing walls are provided with struck-in ears 23 to provide shouldersagainst which the plate edges y are heldby the screws. In cover plate itare two round openings 2t' of a. diameter slightly greater than that ofthe tubular lamp with which the holder is to be used and inline witheach opening is Aa cover disk 25. The cover disks 25 are supported onthe pairs of posts 2t and 2i,

the disks being provided with spaced openings 26 Lili dii

being in one holder and the starter for the other lamp of the pair beingin the other holder.

Each holder comprises a shallow rectangular casing having a bottom wallii, side walls iii and i i, an end wall i2, a top wall i3 and an openfront closed by a cover plate it. At its top, the casing is providedwith walls which denne an extension i5 of less length than the main bodyof the casing, thus providing shoulders l5 on each side of theextension. Attached to extension i5 are corner brackets il havingsuitable openings It through which extend bolts I9 (Fig. 2) forfastening the holders to channel strip 3. Extension titl through whichthe posts pass with a loose t. In each cover disk 2% is a pair ofopenings 2l sized and spaced to receive a pair of lamp pins l.

Positioned in casing extension iii is a contact carrying block 2t of.insulating material. It is supported between the' top wall of extensioni5 and struck-in ears 29 on the side walls of the extension and is heldin place by cover plate iii, the upper edge of which partly overlapsblock 2t as shown particularly in Fig. 6, block 2t being provided with atransversely extending recess in which the upper edge of the cover platerests, the recess being of a depth such that the outer surface oi' thecover plate is ilush with the outer surface of the block.

Mounted on insulating block 2t are two pairs of lamp pins engagingcontacts 3d and 3i and a pair of starter contacts t2. They are fastenedto the block by suitable screws iii. The screws t3 that hold in placecontacts iii, one of the contacts it and one of the contacts t2 alsohold in place angle strips 3d which rare located in recesses in theblock; these angle strips are electrically connected to the respectivecontacts, and are provided with binding screws 35 for fastening electricwires to the contacts. tacts tl and t2 are connected together by a metalstrap 3B held in place by the corresponding screws til. Contacts dit andti are in the form of springr strips having one end attached to theblock and the other end free. In the block are suitably positioned holes3l through which the ends of conductors may be passed to positions underthe heads oi the binding screws 3b to be clamped by The lother of theconsuch screws. The free ends of the pairs of contact strips 30, 3|terminate in line with the openings 21 in the cover disks 25, the freeends engaging the cover disks to hold them against the back surface ofcover "plate i4. The free ends of contact strips 32 are bent at rightangles and are positioned in line with curved keyhole' slots 38 in aninsulating disk 39 which is fastened over the end of a tubular casing 40fixed to bottom wall 9 of the casing. As shown clearly at the left handside of'Fig. 2, casing 40 is positioned in line with an opening in wall9 and is provided with wings 4I which may be welded or otherwisesuitably attached to wall i2. Insulating disk 39 is held in position bymeans of inturned ears on casing 40 and/wings 4i as shown particularlyln Fig. 4. Casing 40 is of a size to receive a starter 8. The starter ispositioned in the casing with its pins projecting through the keyholeslots into engagement with the ends of the contact strips 32.

The ends of the channel strip 3 are closed by end plates 42 held inplace by screws 43, as shown clearly in Fig. 6.

The refiector is fastened to the channel strip by cross straps 44 (Figs.3 and 5) held in place by studs 46 which thread into tapped openings inU-shaped brackets 41. Straps 44 are provided with offset portions 48 attheir centers which seat in openings in the reflector to center thereiiector with respect to the channel strip.

Conductors for wiring the fixture are indicated at 50, In the presentinstance, there are three conductors extending from the ballast to eachlamp holder and one conductor which extends from one lamp holder to theother. They extend along the channel strip and may be held in thechannel of the strip by suitable transversely extending rods whichextend beneath the wires and have their ends held by the channel stripwalls as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

For convenience in wiring, the ends of conductors 50 are clamped, moldedor otherwise held between two strips 52 fastened together by screws 53and are spaced to correspond to the spacing of holes 31 in block 28.Thus all the conductor ends may be at one time inserted through theopenings 31 to position beneath the heads of vscrews 35 after which thescrews may be tightened, the heads of the screws being accessiblethrough an opening 54 1n the top wall of extension l5. This eliminatesthe possibility of Wirt ing the fixture incorrectly.

The ballast 5 is attached to the channel strip by bolts 55, the leadwires 50 from it being brought down through openings 56 in the top wallof the channel strip.

In assembling a lighting fixture,a channel strip 3 of the desired lengthis provided and the ballast 5, having the ends of itslead wires clampedbetween the strips 52 (a thing which may be with 44 and the end plates42 for the channel strip put in place.

The lamp holder is simple in structure and is capable of beingmanufactured at low cost. The several contacts 30, 3i and 32 can bequickly and easily assembled on the block 28 after which the block ispushed into position in extension I5 between the top wall of theextension and the struck-in ears 29. By this arrangement, the block isassembled in the casing without the use of screws. After the block ispositioned in the casing, the cover disks 25 are positioned over thepairs of posts 20 and 2i in engagement with the ends of contact strips30 and 3l after which the coverplate i4 may be put in position andfastened by the screws 22, The spring contact strips 30 and 3|4 servenormally to hold the cover disks 25 in engagement with the inner surfaceof cover plate i4 as shown clearly at the lower right hand portion ofFig. 3.

To insert a lamp into the fixture, the pins at one end of the lamp arepassed through the holes 21 of the-one cover disk into engagement withthe ends of the contact strips after which the end of the lamp is pushedthrough the opening 24 in the cover plate against the action of thespring contact strips until the other end of the lamp can be broughtinto line with the corresponding cover disk of the other lamp holder.This is illustrated in the lower half of Fig. 3 where it will be seenthat the left hand end of the lamp extends through the opening 24 andhas pushed cover plate 25 back away from the opening, the lamp pins 1being in engagement with the contact strips, The lamp havingbeen broughtto the position shown in the lower half of Fig. 3, it is then permittedto move toward the right to permit the pins 1 at the right hand end ofthe lamp to pass through the openings 21 in the adjacent cover disk intoengagement with the spring contact strips of the other lamp holder. Thelamp then positions itself between the two sets of contact strips, thelocation of the end of the lamp when fullypositioned in the fixturebeing shown at the upper left hand portion of Fig. 3. When l mounted inthe fixture, the lamp is held firmly advantage done at the factory), isattached to it by bolts 55. Next, the strips 52 with the attached leadwires may be passed endwise through openings 56 to the inside ofl thechannel; and

in position by reason of the pins 1 being located in the openings in thecover disks' 25.'w Also, it will be noted that the space between the twolamp holders is less than the lamp length so that the lamp ends liewithin openings 24. As a result, the lamp is not likely to becomedetached from the fixture accidentally due to vibration, for example,and fall out of the fixture. The lamp may be easily removed by shiftingit axially in one direction or the other to bring the pins 1 out ofcontact with the lamp holder at' the one end after which such end of thelamp may be moved beyond the lamp holder and removed from the otherlamp'holder by an axial movement. The starters 8 are positioned in thecasings 40 with their contact pins in engagement with the ends ofcontacts 32. They extend part way into the lamp holder casing,projecting suiciently far outside so that they are readily accessiblefor replacement.

In certain installations where fluorescent lamps are started by a higherstarting voltage. a starter for a lamp is not needed. In such instances,it is desirable to short circuit the lamp pin contacts after the lamp isin position. An arrangement for performing this function is shown inFig. '1 wherein an additional spring contact strip 58 is provided inconnection with each of the pairs ot contacts 30 and 3| so that when alamp is positioned in the lamp holders, it connects the two springcontact strips together. Contact strip 58 is fastened at its inner enddirectly to one of the pair of contacts and projects diagonally acrossthe other of the pair, the arrangement being such that when the pair ofcontacts is engaged by the pins oi' a tubular lamp and moved outwardly,the contact of the pair to which contact strip 58 is not connected isbrought into engagement with contact strip 58 to connect together thecontact strips of the pair.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. A lamp holder comprising, in combination, a housing having a top wallformed with an extension and end walls provided with shoulders extendingoutwardly from opposite ends of said extension, a front wall of saidhousingV being provided wlth spaced openings of a diameter to receive atubular lamp, said openings being located in the area formed by saidshoulders, cover disks closing said openings; said disks being providedwith a pair of holes for receiving the contact pins oi a lamp andbeingmounted for movement inwardly from said openings, a block ofinsulating material forming a terminal means located vin said extension,spaced pairs of contact members carried by said terminal block, theindividual contacts oi' each pair'extending downwardly within thehousing to points inline with the holes in the corresponding cover disksfor engaging the lamp contact pins and terminal means carried by saidinsulating block for making electrical connections with the contactmembers.

2. A lamp holder comprising, in combination, a housing having a top wallformed with an extension, a front wall of said housing being providedwith spaced openings of a diameter to receive a tubular lamp, cover`disks closing said openings, each of said disks being provided with apair of holes for receiving the contact pins of a lamp, said disks beingslidably mounted for movement inwardly from said openings, a block o!insulating material forming a terminal plate located in said extension,contact members carried by said terminal plate extending downwardlywithin the housing to points in line with the holes in the correspondingcover disks for engaging and making an electrical connection with thelamp contact pins, one face of said terminal plate being locatedsubstantially in the plane of the iront wall of the housing and beingprovided with openings for receiving conductors for making electricalconnections with said contact members, and means carried by saidterminal plate i'or securing the conductors to said contact members. g

3. A lamp holder comprising, in combination. a housing having a top wallformed with an extension, a front wall of said housing being providedwith spaced openings of a diameter to receive a. tubular lamp, coverdisks closing said openings, each ot said disks being provided withatleast one hole for receiving the contact pin o! a, lamp, said disksbeing slidably mounted for movement inwardly from said openings, aterminal plate of insulating material located in said extension, contactmembers carried by said terminal plate, said contact members extendingaway from the plate within the housing to points in line with the holevin the corresponding cover disks for engaging and making an electricalconnection with the contact pin of a lamp, the face of said terminalplate adjacent the front wall of said housing being provided withopenings for receiving conductors for making electrical connections withsaid contact members, and screw means carried by said terminal plate forsecuring the conductors to said contact members, the aforementioned topwall of said housing being provided with an opening to render saidscrews accessible.

4. A lamp holder comprising, in combination, a housing, a front wall ofsaid housing being provided with spaced openings for receiving tubularlamps, cover disks overlying said openings, each of said disks beingprovided with holes for receiving the contact pins of a lamp and beingmovable inwardly from said front wall upon insertion of a lamp in theholder, a terminal plate of insulating material located in said housingbetween the contact disks, contact members carried by said terminalplate Land extending away from the plate to points'in line with theholes of corresponding cover disks for making electrical connectionswith the lamp contact pins, the bottom wall of said housing beingprovided with an opening therein, a casing within said housing locatedbetween the cover disks in line with said bottom opening to form a wellfor receiving a starting switch, and contact blades carried by saidterminal plate and extending into alignment with said well to formsocket contacts for the starter.

5. A lamp holder comprising, in combination, a housing having at topwall formed with an extension, a front wall of said housing beingprovided with spaced openings for Vreceiving tubular lamps, cover disksoverlying said openings, each of said disks being provided with holesfor receiving the contact pins of a lamp, said disks being movableinwardly from said front wall upon insertion of a lamp in the holder, aterminal plate of insulating material located in said extension,flexible contact blades carried by said plate and extending away fromthe plate to points in line with the holes in the corresponding coverdisks for making electrical connections with the lamp contact pins, thebottom wall of said housing being provided with an opening therein,socket means-in said housing located between the cover disks and in linewith said opening for receiving a starting switch inserted through saidopening, and contact members carried by said terminal plate andextending into engagement with said socket means for making anelectrical connection with the starting switch.

ADOLF' G. MUELLER.

FREDERICK C. DAZLEY.

